Apollo Architects & Associates recently completed Category House, a modern home in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Part of the ground floor is used as a photo studio, while the living spaces are on the upper floor and are reached by an exterior staircase. Because the site is long and narrow, the exterior design uses depth carefully, considering both the distance from the road and the contrast with the surrounding houses.
Modern house with sloping walls
The architects used an open layout with glass walls for the ground-floor photo studio and the upper-floor rooms. This approach connects indoor and outdoor spaces and brings more natural light and comfort inside. The sloping exterior staircase that leads to the second-floor entrance aligns with the angled wall, creating a strong facade that warmly invites visitors in.
Modern House in Tokyo
The gable roof gives the house a distinctive exterior and interior character. Light entering through the narrow roof opening casts dramatic shadows inside, while the pure white decor remains strictly minimalist.
Entrance and exterior staircase
The upper floor is an open, narrow space that includes an attic reached by a small ladder.
It can be used in different ways. The repeated rhythm of diagonal elements creates a pleasant movement through the house. One key feature is the blurred boundary between inside and outside, especially in the living room, where changing natural light also makes the room suitable for photography.
Glass walls and steel construction 
Open, light-filled living room
Pure white decor
Suspended ceiling and skylight
Skylight and glass wall
Naturally lit room
Pure white minimalist kitchen
Anna Lohan
miranda_shida
Peter Dark
